Pandora's Box
by SpidersCrawling
Summary: During times of trouble for Sam Winchester, a mysterious girl appears to offer words of "wisdom". Who is this girl? And what kind of role will she play in the life of the Winchesters? Sam/Dean/OC. Hints of Destiel.
1. The Crossroads

Sam threw the still half full bottle of beer against the gravel ground. "Come on!" he shouted. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, clearly from crying. His hair was ragged, his clothes were obviously not clean.

The crossroads demon appeared almost immediately. She was pretty, as most of them were. Her hair was brown and wavy, twisting into gentle curls at the ends. The tips of her hair were bleached blonde and dyed bright pink. If it wasn't for her red eyes, Sam would have never guessed she was a crossroads demon.

"Sammy Winchester... Do you really think this will work? Or are you just choosing to be an idiot?" The demon asked, crossing her arms.

"Shut the hell up. You know why I'm here," he scowled. He stumbled towards the demon, a look of pain and disgust on his face.

"Hmm...yes... You want to try and trade your soul for your big brother's. Because life isn't worth living if Dean isn't here," the demon said.

Sam said nothing, just nodded.

"Sorry, kid. No can do." The demon smiled and twirled a bit of her colored hair.

Sam's face twisted into anger. "Why not?!" he snapped.

"Do you really think that would work?" The demon sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "They don't want you... As far as they're concerned, they already have you. Besides, what would Dean say when he comes back, hmm? Do you think he'd be able to live a happy life?"

Sam scowled, obviously growing angrier as time went on.

"You Winchesters have this...psychological need to sacrifice yourself for the other. Yes it's touching and sweet and something right out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. But it's also stupid and always ends up biting you in the ass."

Sam whipped out the colt, pointing it at the crossroads demon. "Take my soul, or I kill you." he spat. His hand was steady, despite all the alcohol he'd obviously consumed.

The demon crossed her arms. "No. ...To both," she said. "Unfortunately for you, I can't be killed that easily."

Sam didn't hesitate to pull the tigger. The sharp clap of the gunshot resonated through the previously silent night.

"...Ow," the demon said indignantly.

Sam stared wide-eyed at the demon. If it really was one.

"I'm not one of the things that gun can kill..." she stated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. See ya later, Sammykinz."

With that the demon disappeared, leaving Sam both shocked and furious.

**A/N**

**So this is my story. It weaves one of my own characters into the show. Stay tuned for updates~**


	2. Demon Blood

Sam wiped the demon blood from around his mouth. He felt strong, like his entire being was vibrating with energy, this was normal after drinking demon blood. It made him feel alive when nothing else did, and for that he was grateful. Ruby had left only moments ago, so when he heard footsteps, he knew it wouldn't be her.  
Sam whipped around, knife in hand, to come face to face with someone he recognized immediately. She had left him stumped for weeks and had made him find another crossroads demon, wanting to see if it worked that time. The colt had killed this demon, so why not the one that was now staring at him?  
"Didn't I tell you not to be an idiot, Sam?" the demon snapped.  
Sam stared at her in confusion.  
"Oh don't give me that confused face... And put your knife away, I'm not gonna hurt you. Besides, it's not like it'd work anyway," she placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Who are you?" Sam asked, lowering his knife, but still keeping his firm grip on its handle.  
"Better question, why the fuck are you working with some demon bitch?" By the crease in her brow and the fire in her eyes, it was easy to tell she was angry.  
"I don't have to answer to you. Besides, aren't you just some demon bitch?" Sam snapped, scowling at her previous accusation.  
The demon, or whatever she was, lowered her gaze. Some of the fire in her eyes diminished. "...No. No I'm not.." Her reply was soft, almost inaudible.

Sam's brow creased in confusion, but it was replaced by an expression of anger when the demon...girl...thing took a bold step towards him and jabbed him in the chest with her pointer finger.  
"Stop being an asshat and working with that demon. She's not who you think she is, Sam. She's going to hurt you." Her tone was stern, almost motherly. Sam pushed her away.  
"This isn't going to bring your dearest big brother back from hell."  
That was when Sam snapped. He raised his hand and focused, just like he'd been practicing.

Nothing happened.

"Hmm yeah...won't work... Nice try though," she chimed with a grin.  
Sam focused more, only to feel his head starting to ache from the process.  
"Don't hurt yourself there, kid." The demon paused and crossed her arms. "Here, I'll make it easier for you." With a snap of her fingers, she was gone.


	3. Self-Sacrifice

"You really are an idiot, you know that?"

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the voice. It was familiar, but not welcome. Sam spun around to face the source of the voice. Sure enough, there she was. Brown hair, dyed pink tips, casual clothing, just like the other two times he'd seen her.

The girl took Sam's silence as an invitation to talk and continued. "Do you really think that letting Luci wear you around as his little meat suit is a good idea?"

Sam scowled. Despite having his brother back, the girl's presence wasn't any less irritating. He had given up on the idea that she was a crossroads demon, he wasn't even sure if she was a demon at all. Though he couldn't imagine why she would pretend to be one to begin with.

"Are you gonna say something? Or are you just gonna stand there all...stupid and tall?" Her tone was condescending, but there was a faint smirk on her lips that Sam hadn't missed.

"It's the only plan we have, the best one at least." Sam replied.

"You should reread the definition of the word "best", I feel like your idea of it is off." Her reply was quick, almost like she'd expected him to say something like that.

"Don't think I can do it?" Sam asked, leaning against the hood of the car he was previously sitting on.

"I think that Luci is far more powerful than you could even begin to imagine. And that even if you did do it, you'd end up sacrificing yourself...again."

Sam crossed his arms, obviously not at all phased by her words.

The girl scowled and closed the distance between them in a few short strides. "You selfless, self-sacrificing, heroic, idiot." She spoke bitterly and condescendingly. But her words were hardly bad.

Sam said nothing, deciding that the best way to rid of this girl was to stay silent.

Her nose scrunched in anger and jabbed a finger into the tall Winchester's chest. "Don't expect me to save you when this all goes to hell."

With a snap, she was gone again. Sam could hardly say he liked the girl. Actually, he found he wanted to strangle her whenever she showed up. But he wondered what caused her to keep visiting him.


	4. Soulless

Sam leaned back in his chair as he sharpened the blade of his knife. He could hear the muffled chatter of the Campbells in the next room.  
When he heard an intake of breath, he spun around and quickly pressed the sharpened edge of his knife against his assailant's neck, not even bothering to check who it was.  
The face that was staring up at him in surprise was not one that was welcomed. This would now be the fourth time he'd seen her, and he still knew nothing about who, or what she was.

"Holy shit, Sam." Sam was aware that this knife would do no good on the girl, but he knew it would hurt if he stabbed her. That being said, he kept the knife at her throat.  
"Could you maybe lower the knife?" she asked., arching an eyebrow.  
"No." Sam's tone was stern and cold.  
"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed..."  
"Tell me what you want." If the girl didn't know Sam couldn't hurt her, she'd be pretty damn scared about now.

The girl scowled. Could she make it out of Sam's grip? Easily. But she knew that throwing Sam across the room would draw attention from others, and that was something she had tactfully avoided whenever she met with Sam. "Well I was gonna give you a "Welcome Back From Hell" gift basket, but I guess I'll just get straight to the point," the girl paused, allowing her gaze to lock with Sam's. There was something missing from his eyes. They were cold and steely, not warm like they used to be. "Mind telling me why the fuck you beat the shit out of that police officer?" Her tone was sharp and accusing.  
Sam pressed the blade closer to her throat. "I don't think you have any room to judge my actions right now," he hissed, though not in anger. Actually, he was completely lacking emotion entirely.  
The girl had to admit, she was terrified. "Sam...what happened to you?" Her voice cracked a bit as she spoke and her eyes were searching Sam's for some sort of emotion. "This cold...calculating douche bag isn't you."  
"I don't think you have any grounds to make that assumption," Sam snapped.

"I know you a whole lot better that you seem to realize, Sam." The girl, having had enough of Sam at the moment, shoved him away with just enough force to make him stumble backwards.  
"Goodbye, Sam." The girl disappeared in an instant, leaving no trace, other than Sam's memories, that she had been there at all.


	5. Broken

Sam sat in the hospital room. Everything was pale and colorless. The only "company" he had was Lucifer, and that wasn't company he wished to have.  
"Ooh, a visitor." Lucifer cooed, causing Sam to spin around and see a face he hadn't seen in quite a while. The girl, the one who had pretended to be a crossroads demon.  
"Oh Sammy..." she breathed. Her heart was breaking at seeing her favorite hunter crumpled and broken.  
"Does she only come when you're in pain? Well... Or soulless... She must enjoy the show as much as I do," Lucifer said. But the girl couldn't hear him, only Sam could.

"What do you want?" Sam's tone was defeated and he hung his head, avoiding the girl's gaze.  
"I want to help you... You seemed lonely..." she murmured, brushing a strand of hair aside.  
Sam flinched at Lucifer dropping a book off of the table. "What the hell is this chick anyway? Not a demon, no reason to think she's an angel, not Leviathan..." Lucifer kept dropping books on the floor and Sam winced and flinched with each crash.

The girl hurried to Sam's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay, Sam... I promise."  
"Shouldn't make promises you can't keep. You're gonna die, Sam. And then you'll be in hell...with me. Bunk buddies!" Lucifer raised his hand in the air, obviously expecting some sort of high five.  
Sam ignored the hallucination and turned to the girl. "Who are you?"  
She said nothing, just pursed her lips. "I can't tell you that... Not yet." Her hand was still on Sam's shoulder. He had to admit, the physical contact was comforting. The weight of her hand felt real, and he was ashamed to say that it was currently keeping him grounded while Lucifer danced the Macarena in his peripheral vision.  
"Okay...then what are you?" He asked. The girl had been a puzzle to him ever since his first encounter with her. Why anyone would pretend to be a demon, he was unsure.  
The girl winced. "I can't tell you that either..." She seemed sorry she couldn't give answers, which made Sam more curious.  
"Why?" He couldn't fathom the secrets of this girl. After each of their encounters, he was puzzled for days, sometimes weeks.  
"Well... Lets just say that I have to assess some things before I can tell you who I am." Her answer, just like everything else about her, was unclear.  
"Why did you pretend to be a crossroads demon?"  
"Who says I was pretending?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"Clearly she has a thing for abominations, otherwise she wouldn't find you interesting at all, Sammy," Lucifer chimed, now having given up on the Macarena.  
Sam flinched at his words and clutched his hands together tighter.  
"Hey, hey. What's wrong?" Her tone was obviously concerned and tinged with worry. Sam looked up at her and she offered a sad smile.  
"Nothing I-"

Sam was cut off mid sentence as a cut slowly spread across her throat. Bugs of all shapes and sizes, but all black as night, creeped and crawled out of the cut in her throat. The smile was now gone from her face, replaced with blood pouring from her mouth, nose and eyes.  
Sam jumped up from his seat and stumbled backwards. He couldn't hear her calling his name.  
The girl was surprised when Sam jumped up suddenly. She opened her mouth to give some indignant remark about the smell of her breath, but stopped when she saw how terrified Sam looked. "Sam? Sam?! SAM!"  
The girl rose to her feet and placed a hand on each of Sam's shoulders. She shook him gently, trying to jostle him from his daze. Soon the shaking became violent and she was screaming his name.  
Nothing seemed to work. The girl grew panicked. Her heart was beating quickly and she acted fast. She slammed Sam against the wall, easily pinning him up. "Sammy!" she shouted.

The force of the being pinned against the wall and the sound of his name seemed to wake him from his trance. He let out a shaky breath of relief as the living nightmare faded.  
The girl let out a sigh of relief, letting her forehead rest lazily against Sam's chest. "Holy shit Sam..." she breathed.  
Despite now being back in reality, Sam was shivering from the experience and seemed very jumpy. The girl led him to his bed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, trying her best to comfort the hunter.  
She hummed quietly, rubbing small circles on Sam's back and whispered soothing nothings in his ear.

Sam calmed down after a while, but allowed himself to stay leaning against the girl. Something about her presence was calming. It was the first time in a while that Lucifer was no where in sight.  
Neither was sure how long they were like that, but she was the first one to speak.  
"Your brother is here... I have to go," she mumbled. The girl rose up, but was stopped suddenly by a strong hand gripping her wrist and staring up at her desperately.  
"Please don't go..." Sam pleaded. "That was the first time I've been calm in weeks... Well, the first time Lucifer has been calm.."  
"Lucifer? That's who you're seeing? That whiny little asshole who couldn't accept that Daddy liked the humans best? Tell him to go fuck himself."  
Sam chuckled, but the grip on her wrist didn't loosen.  
"Sam I can't... I'll be back when your visitors are gone, okay?" The girl couldn't leave Sam alone in a time like this, even if it was dangerous for her to be with him for long.  
Sam seemed reluctant, but nodded his head. He removed her wrist, watched as she smiled again and disappeared.


	6. Battered

The girl's visits to Sam in the hospital were common now. She would come early in the morning and stay until Sam allowed her to leave. Neither would say much. Sometimes a few questions from Sam here and there, but most of the talking was soothing whispers from the girl. Sam had quickly grown to rely on her comforting presence.

Today was a normal day for them. Sam was getting worse every hour, it seemed. The girl wanted to help him desperately. She was extremely tempted to do so more often than she'd like to admit, but she knew it would draw too much attention to her existence. The comforting silence was broken by the girl.  
"Sam...I have to leave..." she said sadly.  
Sam looked up at her pleadingly, gripping her hand as though it was his last hope.  
"Sam I'm so sorry... But being here with you this often is drawing attention to myself... I can't come back here, it could get me killed."  
Sam's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"  
"You are famous, Sam. You are known by every creature in the world, so is your brother. Being around either of you makes me noticeable, and for the time I'm doing everything to make sure I stay off the map. Actually, I shouldn't have stayed this long to begin with..."

The girl rose to her feet, removing Sam's hands from her wrist. She leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Sam's forehead.  
Sam suddenly felt very warm and comforted, like he was the safest he had ever been. But that feeling instantly vanished along with her.

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of a blow horn piercing the peaceful silence that had been his mind recently.  
"Man it's good to be back!" Lucifer shouted.

**AN: Sorry for this chapter being short, but I updated a shit ton of chapters today! We're getting closer to learning who this girl is, so stay tuned! Reviews are loved and appreciated~**


	7. Meet Pandora

The girl grinned happily as she stared at her creation. It was perfect. It would keep her safe and protected from unwanted eyes. It was far better than her last protection, which would be why it was substantially harder to make. She slipped the necklace on, touching the gem lightly with her thumb. It was multiple, jagged crystals all tied together by silver wire. It looked harmless, but it was the one most powerful protection spell ever created, and it only took her ten years to finish properly. In the grand a scheme of things, not too long.

She didn't hesitate to go back to her favorite hunter, now that she was able to.

"Hello there boys," she said happily.  
"Jesus Christ!" Dean shouted, jumping to his feet and grabbing his gun.  
"Woah woah Dean... Calm down. Besides, it's not like that's gonna do any good anyway," she said.  
"Wanna bet?" Dean's finger was poised over the trigger. And he would have pulled it if it hadn't been for Sam jumping in front of her.  
"Dean, wait! Hold it!" Sam shouted.  
"That's really touching that you wanna protect me, Sammy. But it's not necessary. If your big brother wants to try and kill me, he's welcome to. Though, Dean, it'll be a waste of your time, especially considering I don't want to hurt you."

Dean had lowered his gun now and was staring open mouthed at his brother and the female intruder. "Mind explaining to me what the hell is going on?!" he snapped.  
"Deep breaths, Dean. You're gonna hurt yourself." A playful smirk flickered across the girl's face.  
Dean looked at his brother, who was still standing protectively in front of who he believed to be responsible for him lasting as long as he did in the hospital. "Who the fuck is this chick?"  
Sam glanced back at the familiar, and yet still unfamiliar face. "You're not gonna like this answer, but I don't actually know. But I know that she's not going to hurt us," Sam reassured his brother.  
"Somehow that doesn't really help me put this picture together, Sammy," Dean retorted.

Sam went on to describe each of their meetings, telling Dean about how she'd been showing up sporadically in his life for a while.  
After hearing all of this, Dean turned to the girl with a skeptical expression. "Why can't you tell us who you are?"  
The girl grinned happily. "Well, thanks to my dedication and hard work, I can tell you all about me without putting myself and you in danger."  
Sam spun around to look at the face that was his anchor on reality for a while. He still found comfort in it and her presence.

"My name is Pandora. And as my baby brother would say, I am an angel of The Lord." Her voice was mocking Castiel.  
Dean frowned. "Somehow that doesn't make me like you anymore..." he grumbled, crossing his arms.  
"Pandora? I've never heard of you in lore before..." Sam said, knitting his brows together.  
"Oh trust me, you have. I've only got one story that survived my...banishment. But I promise you've heard of it." Pandora paused and plopped back onto one of the beds in the motel. "Ever heard of the story of Pandora's Box? You know...stupid girl opens up a box and lets all the bad things out into the world, disease, anger, resentment, stuff like that. The Greeks added in the last bit about hope being the only thing left in the box, which I found to be really depressing..."

"Wait wait... You're telling me that you, Pandora, opened up a box and let out all of the crap we have to deal with everyday?" Dean said. Somehow he was liking Pandora less and less the more he learned about her.  
"Well it was more of a metaphorical box... But sure. So let me clear things up for you... Let's go back, hmm? Way way back. Like Adam and Eve back. Well at that time there were no bad things in the world. No anger, no pain. But there was no doubt, which meant that everyone did exactly as they were told. There was no suffering, so people were content with everything they had and didn't want to reach the full potential my father gave them. And then comes me, proud little first born daughter of Heaven-"

"First born? As in..." Sam interrupted.  
"As in I'm the first angel. The failed one as far as my family is concerned, but hey..."  
"But there is no record of you anywhere that I've ever seen..." Sam frowned, shocked at the information he was learning.  
"When God wants to wipe every trace of you from existence, he's pretty good at doing it. Anyways, I knew that you humans had it in you to be great. I could see the possibilities for you, every chance that you'd have to make this world so amazing. But I knew that, to do that, you'd have to suffer. You would have to see tragedy to want to make a difference. But Daddy was so happy with his new toys. He didn't want anything hurting them or corrupting their simple little minds. I didn't really listen and I let out all of the shit that Dad had made. Needless to say, he was pissed. He didn't cast me down, but my brothers and sisters were not pleased with my actions. So I ran. My running only made my family more mad. I was erased from existence, no scripture or book was ever written about me in Heaven or on Earth. But thankfully, Daddy couldn't get rid of one thing. And that one thing was something the Greeks were very good at. ...Word of mouth. I knew they'd like the story, so I knew I wouldn't have a problem keeping some of my legacy. Up until that point, my family was content to let me live away from them. But when I defied their wishes and made myself known to humans, they got upset. I went into...witness protection, I guess you could say. I hid myself from angels and took on the disguise of a demon. And then I waited. Thousands of years I've been hiding, just using small protection spells and that demon disguise to keep my hidden. But ten years ago, I learned about another protection spell. It takes ten years to make, but it does the trick. I just finished it. I didn't have a reason to go near humans that draw heavenly attention until you Winchesters... If I stayed with you for too long I would be found, and my family doesn't exactly forgive and forget. But thanks to my new spell, that's not an issue anymore. So... That's it, really."

Sam and Dean were silent, both clearly stunned by the amount of information they'd just been given. Sam was the first to speak up.  
"So if you're the first born does that mean that you're..."  
"An archangel? Yes, it technically does. Though I never did like associating with my asshole brothers."  
Dean smirked at that, clearly pleased that he found someone else who shared his opinion of angels.  
The three of them stayed in silence for a while until Pandora broke it. "So where am I sleeping?"  
"Sleep? You're an angel. You don't need sleep..." Dean retorted, scrunching his nose in confusion.  
Pandora's blue-green gaze flickered to Dean and she rolled her eyes. "Nooo.." she drawled, "But I just finished a spell that takes ten years to steadily make and a lot of energy to finish, so it'd be nice if I could get some shut eye. Even just an hour or two."  
Sam gestured to the bed that had his backpack on it. "You can sleep in my bed for your nap." He was quick to offer the bed, seeing as he probably owed his life to Pandora at some point.

Pandora was fast asleep now, mumbling quietly and clutching the pendant around her neck as if her life depended on it.  
Sam sat across from her at the table, his gaze fixed on her sleeping form.  
"What the hell, Sam?" Dean asked, snapping Sam out of his trance.  
Sam looked up at Dean and frowned. "What do you mean?" Sam couldn't imagine why Dean would be upset. He got to trust Cas, after all. Why couldn't Sam trust Pandora?  
"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Dean frowned, fixing Sam with his best big brother expression.  
Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't really see a need. All she did was pop up every now and again. The only time where she actually stayed was when I was in the hospital with Lucifer knocking on my brain."  
Dean rubbed his face and tired eyes with his hands. "Yeah but she stayed with you then..."

Sam sighed and clenched his jaw. "And then she didn't. Was she the one to keep me alive long enough for Cas to get there? Yes she probably was. If it hadn't been for her, I'd probably be dead. But then she left, and she was gone for so long..." Sam shrugged. "I know why now, but at the time I thought she just got bored. So I didn't really see it as important."  
Dean chuckled and shook his head. "Really? Hot, sassy female angel who's on our side saves you in the looney bin and you don't think it's important?"  
Sam shifted uncomfortably at the phrase "looney bin". He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the groggy voice of Pandora.  
"Hot and sassy angel is gonna kick your asses if you don't shut up..." she grumbled, her voice gravely and thick with sleep.

Sam chuckled and they fell silent, but Pandora pushed herself up and yawned. She ran her fingers through her long brown hair, playing idly with the dyed pink tips.  
"So who's your vessel?" Dean asked, interrupting the silence that had fallen over the room.  
"A girl named Penelope. I picked her up around 500 BC in Greece. Had her ever since. What can I say? I'm sentimental about my vessels."  
Sam couldn't say that he'd ever heard of anything using a vessel for that long, but it seemed Pandora was good at being a lot of firsts in his book.  
"If I were to leave her, this body would just be empty. Her soul has died at this point... It was far too old and spent too long in a lifeless body being pushed in the back by an angel... But, with this body being pretty much empty, I was free to redecorate." Pandora crossed her arms behind her head and stared up at the ceiling. "Dyed hair and tattoos. That was what I got first."

Both Dean and Sam's eyebrows shot into their hairline.

Pandora looked up to see their surprised expressions and smirked. "Failed angel, remember? I was made with too much free will, too much power to see everything that could be... The later models had their factory settings worked out perfectly. Daddy thought he got it right with Michael, but Lucifer took after me too much for Dad's comfort."  
Dean and Sam looked at each other with a perplexed expression. "So does that mean that you're the reason God punished Lucifer so harshly?" Sam was very interested to hear more about Pandora's stories.

The angel was silent for a moment before she heaved a sigh. "Yeah...maybe," she mumbled in response. She hated the idea that she really was as much of a fuck up as her family always said.

**A/N: Haha! So now the title makes sense, huh? The chapters, from now on, will be longer. The only reason the previous ones were short was because they were separate meetings, so they were separated for organizational purposes. Another chapter coming up!**


	8. New Addition to Team Free Will?

Pandora flipped through the newspaper from yesterday. Humans were such interesting creatures, so she loved reading on what they had to say about the news. "I will never understand how this Kim person is more important than Venezuela being in a civil war and almost in a dictatorship..." she mumbled, her brow furrowing at the article about the woman named Kim.  
Sam chuckled, a small smile flickering across his face. Dean had gone out for food, so it was just them in the quiet motel room now. "Believe me, I ask myself about our news system a lot..." he replied, glancing at the front cover of the paper.  
Pandora shook her head and folded the paper. "You humans... So much potential. You've only just tapped the surface, you know."  
Sam's eyebrows knit together. "What did you mean before? About seeing what we were capable of?" he asked.

Pandora let out a soft chuckle and leaned back in her seat.  
"Other angels, you know...the successful models, can only see destinies. They see what each human is meant to be, but not what they wish to be. They don't see free will and choice in the future, they see what Daddy has planned. I see it all. I see the destinies, but then I see millions of little paths in the life of each human, all leading to something new because they decided to eat cereal that morning instead of oatmeal... Or they decided to go back to school to follow their dream they thought was long lost, instead of staying in their mundane job. I see it all, Sam. Pulsing in the air, constantly weaving and interlocking and dying and being born. That's what made me see free will. That's what God removed from the other angels."

Sam smiled as she explained. He enjoyed listening to her speak. It wasn't now hard to realize that, once you got her talking, she was able to go on and on. Sam didn't mind, though. He quite enjoyed her long speeches. "So what do the other angels see?" Sam asked, tilting his head in mild curiosity.

Pandora sighed and rose to her feet. She always got a little antsy when talking about her family. She paced slowly back and forth, walking the same path a bit before she spoke. "They see one's destiny. Some more than others. They see what you were born to become, but they don't point out that destiny can change. It can morph and shift by the choices we make everyday. But mention that to them, mention that you might not like their plan, and suddenly they get their robes in a twist." Pandora raked her fingers through her hair and flopped back onto Sam's bed. "It pisses me off sometimes..." she muttered.  
Sam knew first-hand that angels didn't like it when you told them no. He sat in silence with his brow knit as he thought back to all the times he'd pissed off an angel by saying no to their plan.

"Sammykinz, you're brooding," Pandora chimed, snapping Sam out of his own head.  
He frowned and pursed his lips in a tight line. "I'm not brooding. I was just thinking..." he replied.  
Pandora shrugged and propped herself up on her elbows. "Looked like brooding to me. Stop with the frowns, kid. Jeez... You need to smile more."  
Sam laughed lightly and shook his head. "I smile enough, Pandora."  
Pandora shook her head, she couldn't help but laugh with him a bit. "Nope. Your smile is really infectious. Seriously, Sammy. You've got one hell of a grin. And I like to smile, and your brother could use some loosening up a bit. Come on, do it with me now." Pandora let a wide, happy smile spread across her face.  
Sam watched Pandora with amusement, chuckling at her as she smiled at him. He wasn't the only one with an infectious grin. He found himself giddily returning the smile without hesitation, or even realizing that he was doing it.

It was then that Dean walked into the room and plopped a bag of food on the table. "What the hell are you two looking at each other like that for?" he asked, scrunching the brim of his nose in confusion.  
Sam cleared his throat and let his smile fade as quickly as it came. "Uh, nothing. No reason..." he muttered in reply.  
Pandora sighed and flopped back onto the mattress. She felt the soft cushion of the plush mattress give way under her weight and the scratch of the motel comforter on her skin. Somehow, it was comforting. Or perhaps it was the company, though Pandora wouldn't ever admit it.  
Dean rolled his eyes and gave a half-hearted shrug. "Whatever you say. Kevin have any luck with the demon tablet?" he asked, glancing in Sam's direction.  
Sam shook his head, flipping through the paper Pandora had previously tossed aside.  
"You guys are trying to close the gates of hell, right?" Pandora asked, arching an eyebrow.  
Sam nodded his head. "Yeah we are, but not until Kevin tells us how we can do it. And with only one half of the demon tablet... It's a bit tricky."  
Pandora nodded her head, reclining in her seat.  
"So until then, we do what we normally do. Find cases and hunt monsters. Like the good ol' days," Dean added, popping the cap of one of the beers from the fridge.  
Pandora rose from her seat and snatched her own beer from the fridge. She easily flicked the cap off of the bottle. She could see Dean's eyebrows were arched in surprise.  
"Archangel super strength, remember?" Pandora wiggled the bottle a bit before taking a large gulp of the cool liquid.  
"Angels drink alcohol?" Dean asked with an amused smirk.  
"This angel does."  
Dean chuckled and nodded his head, throwing Pandora a sideways glance.

"Guys." Sam's voice interrupted their conversation. Both, almost in unison, hooked their thumbs in their belt loops and took a swig of their beer, stepping over to peer over Sam's shoulder.  
Sam looked back at the two of them, noticing their similar postures. With a glance at each other and an embarrassed frown, they both adjusted their position to something different.  
Sam gave them both an amused smirk, arching an eyebrow at Pandora.  
"Alright you smug bastard, just read the god damn article," she snapped, flashing Sam an exasperated expression.  
"Well...I think I may have found us a case. So get this... Four vics in four days, and they were all women who all grew up in the town, and their deaths were all... A little weird."  
"Define weird," Dean said. Pandora was enjoying the rush of finding a hunt. This was something she'd been looking forward to since she'd first discovered the Winchesters.  
"Well the first one walked into a store and drank a bottle of bleach. The next one gave herself third degree burns with her curling iron and then shoved it down her throat. The third one tried to swallow nails. And the fourth one hung herself...on a flagpole outside of the elementary school."  
Dean pursed his lips. "Yep that sounds a bit weird..."  
"Sounds pretty witchy if you ask me," Pandora said, exchanging a glance with Sam.  
"Man I hate witches..." Dean muttered. "Alright where're we headed?"  
"Uhh, Burlington, Vermont."  
Dean grabbed his bag and started to pack up his things. "Bit of a drive, but we'll be there this time tomorrow."

Sam turned to see that Pandora was gone and frowned. "Dean, where'd Pandora go?" he asked, glancing around.  
Seconds later, the angel returned with a backpack of her stuff. "Alright, I'm all set." She grinned, bouncing eagerly on her toes.  
"...All set for what?" Dean asked, stopping his packing.  
"The hunt, dumbass," she retorted.  
Dean chuckled and eyed the archangel curiously. "Aaand... Who says you're going with us?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Pandora frowned, not expecting to meet resistance. "Well... I assumed it was implied?" Pandora's tone was questioning and hopeful, clearly praying that she could come along.  
"Look don't take this personally... But I don't really trust angels." Dean zipped up his bag and slung it over her shoulder.  
"How am I not supposed to take offense to that?" Pandora asked, obviously anticipating an answer.  
"Look Dean, why don't we let her come?" Sam interrupted. Dean looked at him skeptically. "If it doesn't work out, we won't let her come again. But if we can trust her, having an archangel on our side might be nice."

Dean and Sam seemed to have a silent conversation that Pandora just had to watch with interest. Dean broke the silence with a groan and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Ugh fine, you can come. But you have to pay for your own motel room." Dean said, jabbing a finger in Pandora's direction.  
"Deal." Pandora bounced on her feet excitedly and flashed Sam a happy grin. She nudged his shoulder gently with her own, letting her eyes flick over his face briefly. "Thanks, Sammykinz," she cooed.  
Sam smiled nervously and, though if asked he'd deny it, watched as she walked away.  
And Pandora, although she'd also deny it, swung her hips a little bit more with each step.

**A/N: Hmm...Maybe Sam gets an angel of his own, huh? **


	9. Trust

Dean turned the keys to the Impala, letting the cat shut off. He turned to Sam and Pandora.  
"No, that is not the only problem that the Greeks had," Sam said firmly.  
"Trust me, Sammykinz. I was there. 90% of the time, the reason there was some big problem with the Greek gods and the mortals, was because Zeus couldn't keep it in his pants."  
Sam sputtered indignantly. "That is an extreme exaggeration, and you know it."  
Pandora laughed. "Considering that Zeus came on to me and the only reason he stopped was because he found out I was an angel, I'd say that I'm really not."  
Sam's brows knit together. "Zeus and...you?"  
"Oh relax, Sammy. I told him that I wasn't interested in a good amount of ways."  
Sam opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Dean. "Okay you two, we're here. You two go check us in, I need to take a leak."  
The three of them hopped out of the car.  
"You know who really couldn't keep it in his pants?" Pandora said, waggling her finger at Sam. "Apollo."  
Sam laughed and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Now that one I agree with."  
Pandora grinned and chuckled. "Now Appllo... He was a looker, I definitely would not have told him no," she said fondly.  
Sam bristled at the comment, the grip on his bag tightening until his knuckles turned white. It was taking everything in his power not to summon Apollo here and kill the bastard.  
"Sammy, chill." Pandora's voice and her hand on his snapped him out of his thoughts. "It was a joke, kid. I won't talk about the Greeks anymore...promise."  
Sam nodded his head. He couldn't tell you why he was so angry with Apollo all of a sudden. Actually, he might be able to tell you. But he definitely wouldn't.  
In the time he had to think, Pandora had removed his hand from gripping his bag and now held it in her own. "Let's go check in, yeah?" She offered a calming smile along with her suggestion.  
Sam relaxed and nodded. His thumb instinctively began caressing Pandora's hand. They exchanged smiles and strolled into the lobby.

"Two rooms. One with two queens and one with a king, please." Sam said.  
The clerk glanced at their intertwined hands and arched an eyebrow. "Two rooms?" she echoed.  
Sam and Pandora followed her eyes. They both stared at each other with surprised expressions, as if they hadn't even thought about the act of holding hands.  
Sam cleared his throat and released Pandora's hand. Pandora wiped her suddenly sweaty palm on her jeans.  
"Uhh...yeah. Two." Sam confirmed.  
"And you said one with two beds and one with one?" the clerk asked, typing in her computer.  
Sam nodded in confirmation. He handed her one of his credit cards. Pandora nudged him in the shoulder. "I thought I was paying for my room?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Sam bent down a bit to whisper to Pandora. "Dean can get over it," he said in a hushed tone.  
The clerk cleared her throat, snapping them out of their staring contest. She handed Sam the keys and his credit card and the hunter and the archangel strolled out of the building to find their rooms.

Dean was leaning against the Impala, tapping his foot impatiently. "What freaking took you guys so long?" he asked.  
Sam rolled his eyes and tossed Dean one of the keys to their room. He then, as he was about to hand Pandora hers, he stopped and turned to Dean. "Do you think one of us should stay with Pandora?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.  
"Sam, are you kidding? I do not need a babysitter," she snapped, crossing her arms defiantly.  
"You're the one that doesn't trust her, Dean. Do you want her in a room right next to ours alone?" Sam continued.  
"This is bullshit," Pandora growled, glaring up at Sam.  
Dean pursed his lips and nodded his head. "Alright. Sam, you stay with hot and sassy. I'll take the single." Dean and Sam exchanged keys.  
Sam gestured for Pandora to follow, which, despite her current state of irritation, she did.  
When their door was unlocked, Pandora tossed her bag onto the nearest bed. "I can not believe you. Sam I sat by you in that hospital for three days straight, even though it put me in extreme danger. I even used some of my Grace to keep Lucifer away! And that really brings attention to you!" Pandora snapped.  
Sam riffled through his things. "I never said I didn't trust you."  
Pandora let out a scornful laugh. "You sure as hell did! Back there! When you became my babysitter!"  
Sam turned to Pandora to find that she had stalked towards him and was now standing quite close. "I said Dean didn't trust you, I never said anything about me not trusting you," he replied, firmly holding her intense gaze.  
Pandora said nothing, just kept her lips in a tight line as she stared up at Sam.  
"...Did you really use some of your Grace to keep Lucifer away?" Sam asked suddenly.  
Pandora swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat and nodded her head. "Yeah..." she breathed out.  
If Pandora didn't know better, she would have sworn that Sam's gaze flickered to her lips and he leaned towards her.

A knock at the door interrupted the moment, whatever that moment was.  
"Yoohoo, are you two decent!" Dean called in a sing-song voice.  
Pandora stepped away from Sam, but didn't break his gaze until she turned around to face the door.  
"Actually Sam is naked," she replied.  
"Open the damn door, Dora."  
Pandora let the door swing open and she flashed Dean a glare. "Don't call me Dora," she snapped.  
Dean smirked and raised an eyebrow. "What? Aren't you an explora?"  
Pandora let a forced smile spread across your face. "I dunno, are you my monkey side-kick?" she retorted.  
Dean's smirk fell into a frown and Sam burst into laughter.  
With a proud grin, Pandora stepped aside. She fished her key out of her pocket and handed it to Dean. "I can pop in and out, so you can have the key," she explained. Dean glared at her and snatched the key, stuffing it in his pocket.  
"Thanks," he mumbled.  
Pandora ran her fingers through her hair, deciding she could use a shower. Dean and Sam were discussing the case and how they wanted to approach it tomorrow morning.  
"If you guys don't need the bathroom, I'm gonna take a shower." Pandora jabbed her thumb in the direction of the bathroom door.  
"Can't you just angel mojo yourself clean?" Dean asked, scrunching his nose.  
"Well yes, but that "angel mojo" requires using my Grace. And other angels will be on the lookout for large amounts of my Grace being used, so I only use it when necessary," she explained, grabbing her bathroom stuff from her bag.

Pandora sung quietly to herself, enjoying the time under the hot spray of water.  
"What makes your trust her so much, Sam?" Dean asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
Sam sighed and brushed a strand of his hair aside. "She stayed in the hospital with me, Dean. She used some of her Grace to keep Lucifer away. That put her in danger just being near me, let alone using her Grace." Sam sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "And she showed up when I didn't know I needed her... Sure in the beginning I hated her. But now..." His voice trailed off.  
"You have the hots for hot and sassy, don't you?" Dean teased, flashing a grin.  
Sam shot his brother a look and sputtered. "What? No. Of course not. An angel!? No way, Dean. You're nuts. Besides, you're the one who's calling her hot and sassy."  
Dean grinned wider. "Oh you so wanna explora the Dora."  
Sam threw the newspaper at his brother, scowling at him as best he could.  
"I don't... I mean... Me and an angel? An ARCHangel? The first angel ever made, Dean. You really think that would work out well?"  
Dean shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno, man. She showed up for you all those times, not for me. She put herself in danger for you, not for me," he mused.  
Sam sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was then that he heard the bathroom door open.

Pandora stepped out with nothing but a towel wrapped around her torso. The towel hit mid-thigh and was fluffy and white, and it didn't leave much to the imagination.  
Sam's mouth was hanging open in surprise and he hear Dean shifting in his seat. Sam let his eyes flicker quickly over the exposed skin of her legs. He caught a glimpse of the tattoo she'd mentioned earlier. It was on her right hip and stretched down to her mid thigh. As far as Sam could tell, it was a single angel wing, but the majority of the tattoo was covered up.  
Pandora cleared her throat, snapping Sam out of his daze. A blush spread across his face and he averted his gaze.  
Dean grinned and winked at Pandora. "Feel free to go walking around in a towel all the time."  
Pandora rolled her eyes and grabbed the clothes she needed out of her backpack. She shut the door behind her to change.  
Pandora couldn't help but grin. When she caught Sam's gaze on her, she thought it was an accident. But then when he blushed and looked away, she realized he must have been looking on purpose. The thought made her heart beat excitedly. She found herself scrambling to get dressed so she could go and see him again.

Pandora stepped out of the bathroom, all dressed to lounge around and research with Sam and Dean.  
Sam sat alone on his bed, staring down at his laptop screen. He looked up briefly when Pandora stepped out of the bathroom. "Hey," he mumbled.  
Pandora smiled, wringing the ends of her hair of excess water. "Hey. ...Where's Dean?" she asked.  
Sam glanced up again, his gaze lingering a bit longer on her now. "He went out to get a drink..." He took in what she was wearing, admittedly it wasn't much more than the towel. A tank top and a pair of shorts, not exactly an outfit that keeps the imagination at bay. Sam swallowed thickly and looked back at his screen.  
"Hmm..." Pandora smirked as she noticed Sam throwing her sideways glanced. She placed her hair towel on the top of her head, rubbing some of the moisture from her hair. "So you enjoying the view?" she asked from underneath the towel. When se removed the piece of cloth, she revealed her now incredibly messy hair.  
Sam chuckled at seeing her hair standing up in all directions. "Oh yeah... Definitely."  
Pandora frowned and felt her hair, realizing just how messy rubbing it dry had made it. She snapped her fingers and it was dry and perfectly styled.  
Sam narrowed his eyes. "I thought you weren't using unnecessary Grace?" he questioned.  
Pandora shrugged. "This was an emergency." She laughed and shook her head. "Something as little as fixing hair isn't going to be noticed. An automatic clean-up probably wouldn't be noticed either, but I like showers sometimes."  
Sam chuckled and nodded his head. "So we're gonna tell everyone you're the intern. You're gonna need a badge..." he said, realizing they didn't have one for her.  
Pandora shrugged and ran her fingers through her newly cleaned hair. "I'll whip one up tomorrow. That'll be too small for anyone to notice too, but doing two acts of mojo magic right after another could get a little risky..."  
Sam nodded his head, finding it hard not to look at Pandora the more time he spent with her. Is this was Dean and Cas felt like with their staring contests and constant invasion of personal space? "I was enjoying the view, by the way," Sam blurted out before he could really think about it.  
Pandora grinned mischievously. "Oh really? Well it's a mutual feeling... My view is pretty spectacular too." Pandora leaned back on her hands and crossed her legs.  
"So why an angel wing? That's what your tattoo is right?" Sam asked, closing his laptop and setting it aside.  
Pandora glanced down at her right leg, the one that had the tattoo. "Because I never wanna forget who I am. Sometimes it's hard to remember who you are, especially when no one else wants you to be that way. This way I never forget," she explained, letting her fingertips graze over the ink on her skin.  
Sam swallowed thickly, attempting to wet his suddenly dry mouth. He nodded his head, letting out an unintelligent sound.  
Pandora looked up at Sam and flashed a sly grin. "Why Sam Winchester, have I _turned you on_?" she asked, letting her eyebrows shoot into her hairline.  
Sam sputtered and shifted in his seat. "Uhh... No," he ran his fingers through his hair. "Clearly not."  
Pandora hummed and nodded her head. "Suuure. You're _clearly_ not aroused right now," she teased, sauntering over to Sam.  
Sam stood up suddenly and wiped his palms on his pants.  
Pandora frowned, feeling quite rejected. "What's wrong?" she asked, unable to help the hurt tone.  
Sam shook his head. "Maybe us rooming together wasn't a good idea..." he mumbled.  
Pandora sat down on her bed, rejected and slightly heart broken. Over her years of watching over the youngest Winchester she'd grown quite attached to him. Their time in the hospital and their conversations over the past couple of days confirmed her feelings. "Hey Sam it's okay. I can take a hint. No more moves on you, I promise..."  
Sam shook his head and sat down on his bed, directly across from Pandora. "No no...that's not what I meant," he said with a chuckle. "It's because I'd have a hard time...saying no for your own good."  
Pandora arched an eyebrow. "Well this got dramatic super fast..." She propped her elbows on her knees and tilted her head. "Why would you think saying no would be for my benefit. And if you pull the whole "I'm not worthy of an angel" crap I'll punch you."  
Sam chuckled and shook his head. But then his smile faded and he became very serious. "Pandora...everything and everyone I ever care about dies."  
Pandora rolled her eyes. "You need an archangel blade to even try to kill me, and even then it's pretty difficult. And would you not care about me if we were just platonic friends?" she asked.  
Sam's brow knit together and he frowned. "Well no... I'd still care about you... But-"  
"Well then how much of a difference will...seeing where this leads us make?" she interrupted, offering a hopeful smile.  
Sam still felt torn. He took a sudden interest in his shoes, thinking over what she had just said.  
"And it's not just you that lose everyone, Sam. It's your entire family, it's everyone in the business. You Winchesters are so selfless that you sacrifice your life and the safety of yourself and your loved ones to save the people who won't even recognize you for it. But Sam, I'm in the life too. I have been since I opened up that damn box..."  
Sam smirked. "I thought it was a metaphorical box?" he questioned.  
Pandora shoved him lightly in the chest. "Shut it, Sam."  
Sam laughed and Pandora couldn't help but laugh along with him.  
Soon their laughter faded and they found themselves with just a few inches between their faces. The air in the room seemed to become much thicker and much more alive with electricity.  
"So..." Pandora breathed.  
Sam just nodded, closing the distance between them and gently sealing their lips together. The kiss was hesitant, testing the waters. It didn't take long for them to get lost in each other. Pandora positioned herself on Sam's lap and raked her fingers through his hair, earning a moan. Her whole body was on fire, hyper aware of Sam's hands dancing across her skin.  
Pandora gasped as Sam attacked her neck, eagerly sucking at her tender flesh. "Sam..." she murmured. The whisper seemed to excite the hunter, as his grip on her waist tightened.  
When Sam's tongue and teeth grazed the sensitive spot where we neck and ear met, Pandora groaned. She wriggled in Sam's lap, a growl rumbling in Sam's throat from the friction. He rested his forehead against her shoulder, planting a feather-light kiss on her skin. "We're gonna have to stop this now..." he hissed.  
Pandora nodded her head, finding it difficult to draw air into her lungs. "Yeah... I agree." The archangel removed herself from Sam's lap and sat down on her own bed.  
Sam chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "That got a bit more out of control than I had anticipated..." he said in a sheepish tone.  
Pandora nodded her head. "Yeah... Yeah I hadn't intended for it to go that far."  
Sam grinned and shook his head. "It was from you sitting in my lap and pulling my hair. Definitely all you."  
Pandora rolled her eyes and pulled the covers over her form. "Whatever, Winchester..."  
Sam rose from his bed and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Pandora..." he whispered.  
"Night, Sammykinz."

**A/N: Yes we have a kiss~ Sorry this update was a bit late, I've had finals. Reviews and things are always appreciated!**


	10. Breakfast

Sam woke up to the sun streaming in through the dusty window. He groaned and stretched his arms, satisfied with the popping of his joints and muscles. Sam glanced over at the bed to the left of his to find it empty. He frowned and sat up, glancing around the room. No sign of Pandora. His heart dropped and a fearful sensation grew in his stomach. What if he wasn't right to trust her? What if she was just like all of the others? Or worse, what if something happened to her? Sam scrambled out of bed and stepped outside. The crisp morning and the warm glow of the sun greeting him would have made this a beautiful morning, but the fear was clouding his thoughts.

Sam knocked frantically on Dean's door, hoping that it would wake his brother. He heard an irritated groan and some determined footsteps waddle towards the door before it swung open.  
"What?" Dean croaked irritably.  
"Have you seen Pandora?" Sam asked, his eyes wide with worry.  
Dean suddenly seemed to be much more awake. He straightened up and frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. "No?" his tone was questioning, trying to figure out if he should be concerned.  
Sam raked his fingers through his hair and cursed under his breath. He stalked back to his motel room, ready to grab his things and go searching for her. He stopped in his tracks when he saw her familiar form standing in the center of the room.

"Hey, there you are... I was wondering where you-" Pandora's sentence was cut off suddenly by the bone-crushing hug Sam had pulled her into. Pandora squeaked in surprise, shooting Dean a confused and strained look when he barged into the room.  
"He didn't know where you were..." Dean explained, shrugging his shoulders.  
Pandora patted Sam's shoulder, hoping he'd put her down soon. Sam released his grip and air rushed back into her lungs. She gasped, smoothing out her twisted clothes and looking up at Sam with an arched eyebrow. "Well that's sweet and all, Sam... But you don't really need to worry about me..." she said, tilting her head in confusion.  
"Well you wake up to see an empty bed that previously had someone who was fond of disappearing suddenly..." Sam murmured, rubbing his arm.  
Pandora felt a pang of guilt at the comment. She still hadn't forgiven herself for not healing Sam in the hospital. She was there when he was managing, she could have fixed his wall... But she didn't. She was a coward and she didn't want to die, so she left. She hated that she did it, and she should have known that the guilt wouldn't just go away now that she was with the Winchesters.  
Dean interrupted the silence, and Pandora couldn't have been more thankful. "Where'd you zap off to anyway?" he asked.  
Pandora pushed her guilt aside and, like every other problem in her life, decided to save it for later. Her expression instantly brightened and she smiled. "I got you guys breakfast!" she replied happily. Pandora bounced over to the multiple bags of food she had purchased and emptied them out. Every breakfast food imaginable was here. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, french toast, sandwiches, bagels, fruit, cereal, plus drinks. "I wasn't sure what either of you would like... So I got everything."  
Dean's expression instantly lit up. He scrambled to the counter, examining the feast that lay before him. "Dude," he said, turning to Sam. "Your angel is the best!" Dean grabbed a plate and filled it with delicious, greasy food.  
Pandora snatched the plate away from him. "I am not his angel. Angels aren't owned by people..." she snapped, narrowing her eyes.  
"It was a figure of speech, now gimme food," Dean insisted.  
"Say please," Pandora chimed.  
"No."  
Pandora grumbled, but obeyed, handing the oldest Winchester his plate. Dean grabbed a strip of bacon and tore a large piece off, chewing it angrily at the archangel.  
Sam approached the two, snagging some fruit and pancakes for himself. "Thanks for this, Pandora. But you didn't have to... We could have gotten breakfast after we got ready," he pointed out, taking a bite of the freshly cut cantaloupe.  
Pandora shrugged and smiled up at Sam. "Yeah well... I had time, so I figured why not."

After breakfast was finished, Pandora waited as the boys got dressed. She was already wearing her FBI disguise, had been for a while, actually. Personally, she wasn't one for pant suits, but she knew it would be the best option for her. She wore a charcoal jacket and pants with a plain, white button up shirt underneath. Her hair was in a bun, hiding the bright pink tips of her hair. Simple and definitely not her style, but she wouldn't complain. She fiddled with the fake badge she had "mojo'ed" herself earlier. She couldn't say she liked the idea of being an intern, as she knew Dean wouldn't pass up an opportunity to pretend to be her superior, but it wasn't anything to make a fuss over.  
Pandora was snapped out of her thoughts when Sam stepped out of the bathroom, all polished in his nice suit and tie. The angel whistled, taking the opportunity to let her eyes roam over Sam hungrily. "Damn Sam, you clean up good..." she said, flashing a grin. Unlike her, Sam looked good in a suit.  
Sam grinned in return, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Ready for your first hunt?" he asked hopefully.  
Pandora smiled and nodded her head. "Definitely. Have been ever since you two caught my interest a few years back," she replied.

Dean entered the room, safely tucking his gun in the back of his pants and stowing his knife in the inside pocket of his jacket. Pandora let out another whistle.  
"And another home run for the Winchesters," she said appreciatively.  
Dean looked over at Pandora and scrunched his nose. "You look like a politician."  
Pandora scowled and crossed her arms. "Well this isn't exactly my style, but I wanted to look the part. Trying to blend in here."  
Dean smoothed out his hair. "Why is your hair up in a bun?"  
Pandora touched her hair and crossed her arms. "Do you think an FBI agent would have the tips of her hair dyed pink? Cause I sure as hell don't."  
Dean shrugged, unable to come up with a clever retort. "Let's get going to the first vic's family," he said. He pointed a finger at Pandora. "You," he paused and waggled his fingers, "Are to stay with one of us at all times."  
Pandora rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Yes, sir," she said in a sarcastic tone.  
Sam just shook his head, nudging Pandora's shoulder. "Let's get going."

A/N: The hunt will last for the next few chapters, so stayed tuned for the continuation~ Reviews are wonderful and will be rewarded with my endless amounts of love and affection.


	11. The Case

"Mr. Thomas, did your wife have any enemies? People that might want to hurt her?" Sam asked, giving the grieving husband a sympathetic gaze. Mr. Thomas frowned, glancing between the agents three agents sitting on his couch.  
"Enemies? But the police ruled Marley's death as a suicide..." Mr. Thomas said with a confused expression.  
"We just have to explore every possibility, sir... The number of suicides in this town recently is far more than average, so we need to do this case by the books," Pandora replied, easily taking the words right out of Sam's mouth.  
Mr. Thomas nodded his head weakly. He missed his wife terribly, and he just wanted her back. Their son missed her too. Riley may have been young, but Mr. Thomas knew he understood what was going on.  
The voice of the female agent snapped Mr. Thomas out of his gaze. He turned to her with surprised eyes, blinking a few times in shock.  
"Would you mind if I used your bathroom?" Pandora asked, flashing a kind smile.  
Mr. Thomas cleared his throat and shook his head. "Not at all. Upstairs, second door on your left," he said.

Pandora rose to her feet and gave a thankful nod. She caught the surprised expression from Dean, who was obviously not pleased about her not having a chaperone. Sam nudged Dean subtly, while Mr. Thomas had once again drifted into a daze. Pandora felt sorry for the man, but that didn't mean she could rule him out as a suspect.  
Pandora climbed the stairs nimbly and then allowed her angel mojo to go to work. It was easy for an angel to sense hex bags and cursed items, so she found the one in the wife's dresser with ease. But other than confirming their suspicion of a witch, she didn't find anything else.  
Pandora started down the stairs until she spotted a little boy hiding behind a slightly open door. Pandora stopped and bent down, eyeing the boy sympathetically. Mr. Thomas had mentioned he had a son, so Pandora assumed this was him.  
"Hi there," she cooed gently. "My name is Pandora..." her voice was soft and gentle, hoping to coax the young boy out of his hiding spot.  
The door he was clutching creaked open slightly as the boy poked his head out further. "That's a weird name..." he murmured.  
Pandora smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah well... My dad was a weird guy," she replied with ease. Pandora prided herself on being good with children. Actually, she loved them. She found them to be pure and innocent but still wildly curious and eager to learn about the world. If adults kept some of their child-like characteristics, the world would be much better.  
The boy tilted his head to the side a bit. "...Is your hair pink?" he asked suddenly.  
Pandora's hand instinctively went to check if her bun was still in place. Sure enough, a couple of strands had slipped out, revealing the bright pink and purple tips. "Yeah... Guess I didn't hide it as well as I thought I did," she mused, tucking her hair back into place.  
"Why would you wanna hide it?" Riley asked, furrowing his brow and scrunching his nose in confusion.  
Pandora shrugged her shoulders. "Well I have an important job... I have to look adult-y, and that means hide the pink."  
"That's stupid..." Riley said easily. Pandora chuckled at the young boy and nodded her head. She turned her head as she heard footsteps downstairs. Sam and Dean must have finished the interview. Pandora turned to Riley, who was still staring at her curiously.  
"Are you gonna catch who hurt my mom?" Riley asked.  
Pandora nodded her head and offered a small smile. "Yeah, I am."  
The boy's grip on the door tightened and he gave a short nod. "Good."

Pandora riffled through her pocket, pulling out a white business card. "Riley, can you do me a favor? If anything weird happens or you need anything, can you call this number on here? It's my number, and I'll be here to help you in a heart beat..." Pandora handed the young boy her card.  
Riley studied the card and the number on it. "Daddy says I'm not allowed to use the phone..." he muttered, not tearing his gaze away from the card.  
"Well he's right. Phones are silly anyways... But this is just in case of emergency, okay?" she assured the boy.  
Riley just slowly nodded his head, now clutching onto the card instead of the door, as if he had changed lifelines suddenly.

Pandora straightened up and made sure her hair was in place. "I'll see you around, kiddo," she said with a soft smile. Pandora could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, obviously wondering what had happened to her. She knew she was gonna have to explain this one, but she didn't want Sam or Dean scaring Riley away. She rushed over to the stairs, practically running into Dean as he charged up them. He gave her a confused and irritated look.  
"Found her," he said with ease, as if the following death glare hadn't just happened.  
Pandora smiled at Mr. Thomas, who looked utterly confused. "I was just admiring the beautiful paintings you have in your hallway. Where did you get them?" she gave a soft laugh. "I'm a bit of an art fanatic."  
Mr. Thomas blinked in surprise, stammering on his words. "Uhh...my uh, my mother-in-law gave them to us. As a house-warming gift," he explained.  
Pandora nodded her head. "Well she has excellent taste."  
Sam's brow furrowed in confusion at Pandora, but then he turned to Mr. Thomas and was back in character, offering the man a kind smile. "Mr. Thomas, thank you for your time."  
With that and a stammered goodbye from the grieving man, they were out the door. Pandora looked up at the second story as she walked down the sidewalk, spotting Riley in the window. She waved to him and smiled, he just stared back. She could see he was still clinging to the business card.  
Sam followed Pandora's gaze and then nudged her gently. "You talked to the kid?" he asked, surprised.  
"Yeah. I'll tell you about it and the hex bag I found in a second, but let's get in the car. I have this prickly feeling that we're being watched by more than just that kid..." she whispered.

Once they were all safely in the Impala, Sam turned to Pandora, who had opened up the hex bag and was riffling through it with interest. "What are we looking at?" Dean asked, glancing back at Pandora in the rear view mirror.  
"New magic... This witch isn't some ancient powerful being... But she's still pretty powerful, considering she was able to get these women to commit suicide without hesitation," she muttered.  
"How do you know it's a she?" Sam asked, furrowing his brow.  
"Male witch kills all women? I don't think so... These women all went to the same high school, which means our killer probably did too. It's probably some high school drama gone wrong... Our killer liked a guy and he dated all these other women instead... Something like that," Pandora muttered.  
"That's just a hunch," Dean said skeptically. "What if all of these women dumped some guy and he wants revenge?"  
Pandora shrugged. "Maybe... But by killing them? Seems a little harsh, considering he had feelings for them at some point... Can't rule it out, though," she murmured.  
"What did that kid say?" Sam asked.  
"Not much... He seemed pretty happy that I was gonna catch who hurt his mom.." she replied.  
Sam glanced at Dean and then back at Pandora. "He doesn't think she killed herself?" he asked in a surprised tone.  
Pandora shook her head, pulling her hair out of its bun. "No... And I think he knows more than he's letting on... I think the husband does too..."  
Dean scrunched his nose up in disbelief. "Why the hell do you think that?" he asked.  
Pandora shrugged again. "Just a hunch..."  
Dean shook his head and waggled a finger. "Listen, feathers... We don't go on hunches. Not with freaking witches!" he snapped.  
Pandora rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah... I think that this high school business definitely has something to do with it. This is a big personal grudge... I'm gonna go look in the library at the yearbooks... Try and find our victims, ask other people who went to school with them about any drama... That sort of thing," she explained.  
"And what makes you think you're allowed to do that?" Dean asked, letting his eyebrows shoot up into his hair. Pandora scowled at his tone, but didn't push her luck.  
"Because with me doing research, one of you interviewing the families, and the other one looking at the bodies, we'll get this done in half the time," she retorted, regretting her tone immediately. Dean puffed up his chest, and she knew she'd angered the masculinity within him.  
"Oh no... One of us is with you at all times, remember?" he snapped.  
"You really shouldn't treat me like a criminal, considering I've done nothing to deserve this treatment!" Pandora's tone was raised. She was aware this was a bad idea, but she didn't care. Dean was pissing her off, and she was still an archangel, dammit.  
"You're an archangel! That's reason enough for me!" Dean spat.  
"Well you trust my baby bro enough to have a romp in the sheets with him! You guys enjoy all the alone time in Purgatory?" Pandora instantly regretting this statement. She knew what happened with Cas in Purgatory... She knew that he was a touchy subject for Dean, as he had only recent been broken out of Purgatory, for reasons still unknown, and was currently not with them.  
Dean slammed on the breaks, causing the car behind them to honk suddenly and swerve out of the way, so not to hit them. "Get the hell out of my car!" Dean snapped.  
"Dean!" Sam said.  
"You like her so much?! You go with her to research. Do not let her out of your sight, and after this hunt is over, she's gone! I'm going to go talk with the rest of the families."

Once Sam had scrambled out of the car after Pandora, Dean drove away, slamming on the gas and causing skid marks to appear in his wake. The smell of burning rubber now filled the air.  
"So I guess we walk to the library?" Pandora said with a shrug.  
"Pandora, are you insane?" Sam shouted.  
"What...don't like walking? I thought you liked running in the mornings... You know walking is just like running, just a little bit slower and-"  
"Pandora!" Sam hollered.  
Pandora flinched a bit at her name being shouted. "Your brother is an ass sometimes... I can be trusted, you know."  
Sam sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know..." he said with a sigh. "But you can't just scream at each other... One of you has to be the reasonable one."  
Pandora chuckled, enjoying the light breeze that blew by them. "And you think that's gonna be me?" she mused, arching an eyebrow.  
Sam grinned at her. "I think that's not going to be Dean," he retorted.  
Pandora laughed, enjoying the sensation of carefree happiness. She felt this around Sam. She had since they met at that crossroads. It was this happiness she felt that made her keep coming back, and then she soon became protective of the boy, which is what made her stay with him. Her laughter soon faded and silence fell over the two. It wasn't uncomfortable... But Pandora couldn't say she was keen to let it continue either. It made her focus on her thoughts, and she knew they'd be telling her Sam was right.  
The two walked in silence for a while, but Pandora could feel Sam glancing at her every now and again.  
"Okay..." the archangel said suddenly. "I'll apologize to your brother tonight... But Sam, I'm not leaving you. I will let him give me a babysitter, I won't talk back...much. Hell, I'll even let him treat me like a prisoner and keep me in his sight at all times. But I am not leaving."  
Sam pursed his lips and swallowed. She wasn't leaving. It was a nice idea, if it was true. Sam didn't think Dean would make her leave. He knew the outburst in the car was just from frustration, but he still thought Pandora would leave eventually. Whether she left out of boredom, or she was forced away from them... It didn't matter, but they always left. As much as Sam wanted to believe Pandora would be the exception, hell he just wanted there to be an exception, he knew that it would never happened. But he didn't voice this. He just nodded his head and let a soft smile flicker across his face. "I know..." he murmured.


	12. The Library

The walk to the library was quiet, but it was comfortable. Pandora had a small smile plastered across her face, and she had a suspicion that this was going to be permanent around Sam. She couldn't say she enjoyed the idea of being so attached to a human. Actually, it made her stomach churn. Human lives are fleeting, she knew that better than anyone. She'd had friends over the years, people she considered to be family. She'd watched them flicker out just as quickly as they'd come, leaving her alone again. She couldn't find them in heaven like the other angels could, she wasn't welcome there... Despite having felt the loss of human friends over her years, she hadn't ever felt this attached to someone before. It was like she was drawn to his presence, and the idea of being dependent on someone terrified her. Pandora was "Miss Independent". She found pride in the fact that she didn't need anyone else... But she had a sinking suspicion that she needed Sam. When she wasn't with him in the past, she'd be spying on him, checking to make sure that he was still alive. During his battle with Michael, she had sat far away and watched, felt the pain in her ancient heart as she watched him being tossed around and toyed with by her idiot brother. She had to stop herself from intervening more than once... Actually, she had to stop herself from jumping in to save him during rough hunts every single time.  
Sam glanced at Pandora, wondering what she could be thinking about. He was thankful that, whatever it was, it was causing her to become so enveloped in her own thoughts, that she didn't notice him glancing at her every thirty seconds. Sam knew when it was that be came to rely on her presence. It was in the hospital, when she became a regular visitor. He wasn't sure if he would have survived for as long as he did if Pandora hadn't been with him, pouring bits of her Grace into him whenever she could. When she hadn't returned for him, he thought that she had grown tired of him. Though he'd never admit it, he had felt his heart break a bit at the thought. Knowing why she couldn't stay now didn't get rid of that pain. He knew that was why he had been so panicked this morning. He hoped that becoming so worried would not be a daily occurrence... Sam wasn't sure if he could handle that feeling of panic everyday. What if she got injured during a hunt? Sam shuddered at the thought, not wanting to think about what he'd do.  
Pandora felt Sam's aura of worry at the back of her mind. It snapped her out of her trip down memory lane and pulled her attention back to the human she felt so drawn to. She placed a hand on his shoulder, Sam jumped at the contact. "Sam, are you okay?" Pandora asked, her brows knit together with concern.  
Sam opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to his ability to speak. "Yeah... Yeah I'm fine," he replied when he discovered his vocal chords again.  
Pandora narrowed her eyes, but decided not to press the issue. She didn't want to return to her own thoughts, so she decided that conversation might be a good tool to use. "So... Last night..." her voice trailed off and she smirked. "It was fun. We should do it again sometime."  
Memories of the heated kiss rushed over Sam like a tidal wave. And then suddenly, he had a horrible thought. What if he fell for Pandora, and then he lost her? He was already afraid of losing her, so he could only imagine what love might do when added to that mix. His stomach did a nervous flip at the thought. He clenched his jaw, now attempting to swallow the lump in his throat. "Pandora..." he said with a sigh.

Pandora felt her palms begin to sweat. His tone was not one that she enjoyed hearing...  
"I don't know if that's such a good idea..." he murmured, avoiding her gaze. "It's just that... If I let myself..." Sam found he didn't have a lot of words to express his concern. They had stopped walking now and were just standing on the side of the road. Sam turned to Pandora, now meeting her terrified and concerned gaze. He clenched his fists and forced himself to form a sentence. "If something were to happen to you and we had... And I was... Pandora, I don't know what I'd do. I can't go through that again."  
Pandora's lips formed a tight line. "Samuel Winchester," her tone was sharp, which surprised Sam. His eyebrows shot into his hairline and he blinked a few times in shock. "Do you think you're the only one that would be affected by that? Human lives are fleeting, Sam. I've lost a lot of people I care about because I let myself get attached to them... But you... I'm more attached to you than I was to all of my friends, combined. And Sam, that scares the Grace right outta me. It's gonna hurt like hell either way, Sam... I'm already too invested for it not to..."  
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by Pandora holding up her hand. "Just... Just think about it, okay? And for once, don't automatically assume that I'm gonna go anywhere. I'm an archangel, Sam and-"  
"Yeah, and I've lost an archangel that I was just beginning to care about too," Sam snapped.  
Pandora was silenced. She felt a pang of sadness at the mention of Gabriel. He was much like her... A run away angel that felt the need to help the Winchesters.  
"And just like you, I hated him at first too. But then he helped us, and then we lost him..." Sam sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You're not invincible, Pandora..."  
Pandora sighed and nodded her head. "I know... And yeah, there's a chance that I could be killed. With the way things have been lately, I'd say a hell of a chance. But I'm gonna let myself care too much either way... And I have a feeling that you will too."  
Sam opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again when he found he was at a loss for words. He knew that he was already in too deep to stop now, but every cell of common sense he had told him to not take the final leap.  
"The library is just there... We should go do that research," Pandora said, pointing at the brown brick building.

Sam typed away on his computer, researching the contents in the hex bag they had found. As far as he could tell, Pandora was right. This wasn't old magic, but it was still powerful. Sam's gaze flickered across the table to see Pandora with her nose buried in a yearbook from 1986. He smiled fondly, despite the serious situation. Her hair was out of its bun and she had removed her blazer and tossed it in the chair beside her. Sam hoped she was right when she said she wasn't leaving. He longed for it to be true, actually. Here was someone who believed in him, believed he was a good person, someone he cared for and who cared for him. It seemed too good to be true. There was a part of him that was wary of her, wary that she might have a hidden agenda, just as everyone always seemed to. Sam shut his eyes tightly, hoping to expel the thoughts from his mind. Instead, he decided to give Dean a call and give Pandora a good word. Sam hoisted himself from his seat, smiling to himself when Pandora was so engrossed in what she was doing, that she didn't even notice.

Sam wove between the rows of books, running his fingers lightly along the spines. He pulled out his phone, dialing the familiar number.  
"Yeah?" Dean answered gruffly. Judging by the informal greeting, Sam figured that he wasn't in the middle of an interview, inwardly he let out a sigh of relief.  
"Hey, Dean," Sam replied.  
"Everything okay? That bitch hasn't gotten into trouble has she?" Dean's tone was warning, as if he was just daring Pandora to do something to piss him off.  
Sam rolled his eyes. "No, Dean. Pandora's looking through yearbooks, trying to find a bigger connection between all of the vics. Look, Dean... About Pandora-"  
"She's gone, Sam. Gone."  
Sam knew that Dean was sensitive about Cas, he had been ever since he got back from Purgatory. Admittedly, Sam has always expected there was more between the two than friendship. Actually, he was almost certain that he heard them one night before he entered the motel room, which is what promptly made him run in the other direction as quickly as possible and return two hours later. He'd never snapped at accusations of a relationship between them before, but Purgatory had never been in the mix.  
"Dean, listen... Pandora-"  
"No I will not listen, Sam! What has she done to deserve to be with us?" Dean demanded.  
Sam scrunched his face in frustration. "Oh, um...How about saving my life?"  
"If she wanted to save your life in that hospital then she would have cured you before you wall was completely gone! Cas was the one that saved you, not her."  
Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "Dean, she couldn't do that! She would have been found and we would have both been in danger! She kept me alive long enough for Cas to get there and-"  
"Yeah, she kept you alive long enough for Cas to get there and take your pain and toss himself in the looney bin! She hurt both of you, Sam!" Dean spat.  
"Dean, if she had put my wall back up, it would have just come down again."  
"Then we'd put it back up! She didn't do shit to help you, Sam."  
"She kept Lucifer away, Dean. That's enough for me."  
"That's-"  
"You get to trust Cas, Dean! You get to trust Benny!"  
"Cas and Benny deserve-"  
"So does Pandora! I trust her, Dean. I don't care if you don't. You can hate her all you want, but she's not going anywhere. Even if she was willing to leave, I wouldn't let her."  
Judging by the silence on the other end, Sam could tell that Dean was trying to control his frustration.  
"Look Dean... I care about Pandora a lot. Her keeping Lucifer away was really big for me. It's nice to...have someone, I guess..." A small smile flickered across Sam's face.  
"Have someone? You mean like-"  
"No! Someone-her... Have her...here! It's nice to have her here," Sam stuttered, fumbling over his word choice.  
"...I think next time I should room with Pandora..." Dean replied.  
"Dean now hold on- wait... Next time?" Sam repeated hopefully.  
Dean gave an exasperated groan. "Yeah, goddammit, she can stay... Look I'll be at the library in like ten minutes, hang for me there and I'll pick you and feathers up."  
With that and a click, Dean was gone and Sam was left grinning like a madman. He honestly hadn't expected that to go as well as it did, and was utterly thrilled at the results.

Sam walked back over to Pandora to see her scribbling something down excitedly. He raised an eyebrow. "Find something?" he asked curiously.  
Pandora looked up with a wild grin. She rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around Sam's waist. She hoisted him off of the ground with inhuman strength and spun him around, his feet knocking some of the books off of the table.  
"They were cheerleaders!" she exclaimed.  
Sam wriggled out of her grasp and smoothed out his shirt, his heart still pounding at suddenly being picked up and spun around. He could honestly say that he had never been picked up and spun around, and he never wanted to be again. "What?" he asked, knitting his brows together in confusion.  
"The four vics! They and two other girls were the only ones on the cheerleading squad junior year of high school, and this was the only year they were all together. I'm betting one of those girls is our witch."  
Sam frowned, looking down at the yearbook. Sure enough, there were the four vics together, plus two other girls. Sally Harper and Julia Vauxler. "Well...I can't say you're right, but it's worth checking out," he replied with a shrug.  
Pandora practically danced around the table as she gathered the books. "Awesome! I have their addresses here. Julia Vauxler is now Julia Graham. Sally is still Sally Harper. Ten bucks says it's Sally that got bitchy and turned witchy," Pandora taunted, waving around the paper with their addresses.  
Sam rolled his eyes and grabbed his suit jacket. "Let's get cleaned up, Dean is gonna be here in ten minutes to get us."  
Pandora stopped her dancing and spun to face Sam, arching an eyebrow. "...Us?" she echoed, a tone of hopefulness in her eyes.  
Sam tried to suppress his grin, but failed miserably. "Yeah, us."  
As their gazes locked, Pandora grinned in return, capturing Sam in another happy embrace. "I don't know what you did, but you're the greatest!" she squealed, burying her nose in his chest.  
Sam could feel his heart beating faster as he wrapped his arms around Pandora's shoulders. He hadn't been smiling this much in quite a while...it was an odd feeling.

Dean pulled up to the library to see Sam and Pandora waiting outside, talking and laughing and smiling. Dean groaned, now knowing that he could never send Pandora away, unless she did something to betray the trust Sam had given her. Dean hadn't seen his baby brother genuinely laugh and smile like that in way too long... "Shit, I'm stuck with her..." he grumbled, climbing out of the car. "Hey, d'you guys find anything?" he called, waving to them to catch their attention.  
Pandora was the first to talk over, now looking serious. "Dean I'm... I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have- Look, it was too far... It was wrong... I was wrong..." As she spoke, Pandora fiddled with her hands and the hem of her shirt, which was a clue to Dean that she didn't apologize very much.  
"It's okay... Pandora, I still can't say I trust you like my brother does... In fact, I'm not sure if I ever will. And you're still gonna have to be with one of us at all times, until I say otherwise-"  
"Dean.." Sam interrupted.  
Dean's gaze shot to Sam and he raised a warning finger. "Sammy, I said she could stay... But we've been bitten in the ass by trusting people before. If it was reversed and she was Benny, you'd want me to be the babysitter," he stated firmly.  
Sam's jaw clenched as he silenced himself, not wanting to admit that his brother was right.  
Pandora cleared her throat, breaking the tense silence. "Okay... I'll be with one of you at all times, I promise." She couldn't say that she liked needing a chaperone, actually the mere idea of it pissed her off. But if she had to earn her trust from here, she would... And that meant keeping this promise.  
Dean nodded sternly in response, pleased and surprised that Pandora hadn't put up a fight. "So what did you guys find at the library? Anything helpful?" he asked, wanting to get off the current subject.  
Pandora opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Sam. "Pandora found out that all four vics were on the cheerleading squad together, plus only two other girls their junior year."  
Pandora nodded her head in agreement. "It was the only thing where they were all together, so I figured that going to the other two girls and asking about the relationship between the victims would be a good idea," she explained.  
Dean shrugged his shoulders and climbed into the Impala. "Alright, let's get going."

**A/N: Sorry this wasn't a usual Saturday update! Unfortunately, I had a hard time working up the muse to write. I think I'm gonna wrap this case up in the next chapter (so it's gonna be a really long chapter) and move on to the next point in the plot, because this one is dragging on for a bit. Reviews are always appreciated and loved! **


	13. Got Bitchy and Turned Witchy

"See? What did I tell ya?" Pandora taunted, flaunting her win over the two Winchesters. She had to admit, she was enjoying being right. "I was right. You guys should keep that in mind later on when you question my judgement again."  
Dean and Sam both scoffed, though Sam couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile. "You got lucky," Dean corrected, waggling a finger at Pandora. The three of them had just discovered that two girls out of the cheerleading squad, the first vic and Sally Harper, the only remaining member, had a fight over a guy their junior year of high school.  
"Besides," Sam added, throwing Pandora a sideways glance, "It still doesn't explain why the other three women were killed."  
Pandora rolled her eyes and climbed into the backseat of the Impala. "They probably sided with the first vic and Sally got pissy. And seriously, what are the odds that the guy they fought over was the first victim's husband? How else do you explain what's going on?" The archangel crossed her legs and fixed the hair that was sticking out of her bun. She hated having to wear it up, it simply wouldn't stay in place.  
Dean rolled his eyes and gripped the wheel of the car. "Maybe it was the husband."  
Pandora scrunched her nose up in confusion. "What husband? Ryan Thomas? ...The first vic's husband, that husband?"  
"Yes that husband! Geeze... Who else would I be talking about?"

Pandora couldn't believe her ears, and apparently her shock was entertaining, because she could hear Sam suppressing a chuckle as he glanced at her in the rear view mirror. She kicked his seat, earning her a glare. With a satisfied smirk, Pandora turned her attention back to Dean, who was glancing between them curiously. "Why would that sweet, mourning man kill his wife and those other women?"  
Dean shrugged his shoulders, turning the Impala down the street Sally Harper was supposed to live on. "I dunno...maybe his wife cheated on him or something...and the other women were just to lead us off track." he suggested.  
Pandora scoffed and shook her head, which made Dean shoot her a death glare in the mirror. "Seems unlikely he'd kill three other people just to lead us off his own track..." she said, easily dismissing his idea.  
Dean flashed a smirk. "Well, it seems unlikely Sally Harper would kill three other women just because they agreed with Marley Thomas," he retorted.

Pandora opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Sam. "Or, you're both wrong and the last two women are in danger of being killed next by some outside source, and your bickering is keeping us from finding them and stopping them, putting others in danger."  
Pandora and Dean made eye contact in the mirror before falling silent obediently.

The three climbed out of the Impala and approached Sally Harper's house. It was just like all the other houses in the neighborhood, two stories, pale in color, perfectly cut grass and pots of flowers decorating the covered porch. Pandora shuddered thinking about suburban towns like this, how similar they all were scared her more than it probably should.  
A petite blonde woman opened the wooden door, her brows knit in confusion at the three people in suits standing on her porch. "Yes? Can I help you?" she asked.  
Dean flashed a charming smile and pulled out his FBI badge. "Hello Ms. Harper. I'm Agent Garvin, and these are my partners, Agent Willis and Agent Donoghue. We're here to talk to you about the deaths of..." Dean paused and opened up his notebook, "Marley Thomas, Patricia Rollins, Christina Parker, and Jen Duchen."  
Sally Harper gripped the door a little bit tighter, but Pandora was unable to tell if that was from nerves or from the loss of her high school friends. "Um...yes, yes of course. Please come in," she said, gesturing inside.

The interior of the house was just as normal as the outside. Solid colored walls in dull hues, shiny wood floors, perfectly centered paintings. One thing Pandora did notice, was that there were not a lot of pictures around. In fact, she wasn't sure if she saw any. No family portraits, vacation pictures, graduation, nothing. It almost looked like this was a house from a furniture catalog and not a place that was actually lived in.  
"Can I get you agents anything to drink? Water? Iced tea?" Sally asked, taking a step towards the kitchen.  
Sam smiled graciously. "No thank you, Ms. Harper."  
Sally looked as if she didn't know what to ask next for a second before she nodded her head and gestured to the living room. "Well then let's...have a seat."  
"Now Ms. Harper... When was the last time you saw the victims?" Sam asked, settling into the spot next to Pandora on the couch. Dean looked at the filled couch and gave a small, almost unnoticeable pout, before settling in a chair.  
"Oh goodness... Well that would be at the twenty year reunion last month, I suppose. Why exactly are you questioning me?" she asked, knitting her finely trimmed brows together again.  
Sam offered another confident, calming smile. "It's just routine, Ms. Harper. We saw that you and were on the cheerleading squad with all of the victims, and we just have to go through these questions."  
Sally nodded, but looked unsure. Pandora glanced over at Dean and gave a subtle nod, signaling for him to go off around the house and look for anything suspicious. "Excuse me, Ms. Harper? Would you mind if I used your restroom?" Dean asked.  
Sally shook her head and gestured to the stairs. "Um, of course. Upstairs, first door on your right."  
Dean gave a grateful nod before walking up the stairs, readying himself to quickly search through the house for witchy items.

"So Ms. Harper," Pandora said, bringing Sally's attention back to her. The woman had been staring at the staircase, tapping her foot nervously. "Do you know of anyone that would have wanted to hurt any of these women?"  
Sally frowned and shook her head. "What? No, no. They were all lovely women, I don't know why anyone would want to hurt them..."  
Pandora nodded her head, though she did take note that Sally Harper didn't question the fact that their deaths had been previously ruled as suicides, which she thought to be odd.  
"Now Ms. Harper... What can you tell me about the fight you and Marley Thomas had over her husband back in high school?" Sam asked.  
Sally suddenly looked very confused. She glanced quickly between Sam and Pandora, baffled at such a question. "Well we... We were teenage girls who both liked the same boy! We agreed not to date him, but then after high school ended they started seeing each other. It was so long ago, I hardly even remember why I liked Ryan in the first place," she said with a small, slightly forced laugh.  
Pandora opened her mouth to ask another question, but at that moment, Dean had strolled down the stairs with a wide smile. "Sorry to interrupt, but we just got a call. We need to get going soon. Got the information we need?" he asked. Pandora frowned, but didn't push the matter.  
Sam glanced down at his notepad and nodded his head, flashing Sally Harper another smile. "I think so. Thank you for your time, Ms. Harper. If you need anything..." Sam paused and pulled out his card, Sally took it with a shaky hand, "...just call."

Once they were all safely in the Impala, Pandora scowled at Dean. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, earning her a warning glare from Sam.  
"She wasn't our witch," Dean said cooly.  
Pandora scoffed and crossed her arms. "Yeah? And how do you know?" she retorted.  
"Because, Dora-" she scowled at the nickname, "-I found this in her bathroom cabinet." Dean tossed the hex bag back to Pandora, who fumbled around a bit before she caught it. The archangel's eyebrows knit together and she examined the hex bag.  
"Same as the others... There wasn't a bag at Julia Graham's house... Think the witch is gonna hit her house next?" she asked.  
"That's what I'm thinkin'"  
"So we watch Julia's house? Wait for the witch to pop by and hide the hex bag?" Sam questioned, glancing between Dean and Pandora.  
"Yep, then we gank the bitch," Dean replied with a grin.

"So Pandora..." Dean began, "Think maybe you can use some angel mojo to help us out tonight?" he asked, obviously hopeful this would be an easy kill.  
The archangel sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She was thankful that she could have it down, and that she was now able to get rid of that awful pant suit. "If things turn sour, then I'll of course save you guys. But...I'd prefer not to if I don't have to. I don't really want to find out the hard way that this protection I have isn't as good as I'd hoped. But I will pop into Julia's house, cloaked of course, and watch from inside." She knew it wasn't the kind of help Dean was probably hoping for, but it was the best she could do. Did she really think that her family would find her and kill her as soon as they sensed her Grace? No, probably not. And she wasn't even sure if they would be able to sense her Grace at all, but it was better safe than sorry. She'd spent too long hiding and having to stay away from the Winchesters to lose them now.  
Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, well then I guess we'd better get locked and loaded, huh?" he replied.

The hunt had gone surprisingly well. They'd found the witch, who as it turned out was another girl from their high school. Apparently the group of popular girls had made her life a living hell, and she wanted her revenge. Dean couldn't understand why she couldn't just let these things go, but he decided to just kill the bitch instead of asking. Pandora only needed to step in once, when the witch had gained the upper hand and had Sam and Dean gasping for air because of a choking spell. The archangel had sent the witch flying across the room, effectively breaking Julia Graham's mug collection. The spell on the boys then broke and they easily killed the witch.

The three now sat in Sam and Pandora's motel room, sipping at their beers and enjoying the after hunt relaxation time.  
Dean's gaze flickered between Pandora and Sam, observing as they behaved around each other. It seemed so natural, like they'd known each other for years. It took Dean a minute to remember that Sam technically had known Pandora for a while, though in this case, "know" was a relative term. He watched as Pandora playfully swatted Sam's hands away as he tried to get his beer back, which Pandora had stolen because of how Sam poked fun at the pantsuit she had to wear today.  
"Listen here, Winchester, not all of us can look as good in suits as you do. Pant suits make me look like Hilary Clinton... But it fit the job, I had to do it," Pandora said, once again swatting away the large pair of hands that tried to grab the stolen beer bottle. "Ah-ah! Apologize," she demanded, fixing Sam with a stern look.  
"Fine, fine. I'm sorry you so weird in pant suits," Sam joked, flashing a mischievous grin.  
Pandora narrowed her eyes and scowled, causing Sam to hold up his hands in defense. "Alright, okay! You don't look bad in pant suits, it's just odd seeing you in one. You look better in your other clothes."  
Satisfied with the apology, Pandora handed Sam back his beer.

Dean sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. He was stuck with Pandora. If there was ever any doubt that she'd leave before, it was gone at seeing the two of them together. He couldn't say that he didn't like her, actually he thought she was a decent chick to be around. But he still didn't trust her, or more he wouldn't trust her...not yet. They'd been bitten in the ass by betrayal too many times before. Dean silently prayed that things would go well this time... Sammy could use someone that made him happy and made him smile like he used to.  
"Dean? Hey, earth to Dean, come in Dean." The sound of Pandora's voice repeatedly calling his name snapped him out of his thoughts. He blinked rapidly, looking at her in surprise.  
"What?" he asked, suddenly realizing that she might have been trying to get his attention for a while now.  
"Are you okay? You looked pensive."  
Dean arched an eyebrow at her choice of words. "I'm fine. I wasn't...pensive, I was just spacing out. And I actually think I'm gonna hit the hay. We should head out early tomorrow, maybe go on a supply run until we find a new case," Dean replied, pushing himself to his feet and trudging towards the door. "Now you two behave, cause if I walk in on you naked tomorrow morning I'm gonna need brain bleach," he added before closing the door behind him and going into his own room.

Sam's face flushed red at the comment and he cleared his throat awkwardly, taking another swig of his beer. He knew that he was doomed. He'd let himself get attached to Pandora, and that never ends well for him.  
Pandora's gaze flickered over to Sam a few times, trying to gauge his reaction to Dean's words. She nudged him gently and offered a smile. "Hey...you know I'm not going anywhere, right?" Her voice was reassuring. Part of her knew that this probably wouldn't ease Sam's worries, but it'd at least calm them down for now.  
Sam let his tensed shoulders relax a bit and he smiled in return. "I know..." He found genuinely smiling to be easy around Pandora, and that didn't happen for him very often. He reached out and cupped Pandora's cheek, his thumb caressing her skin.  
Pandora instinctively leaned into his touch and allowed her eyes to flutter shut. It took her by surprise when she felt a familiar pair of lips tentatively brush her own.

The kiss was soft and cautious and was much less rushed then their first kiss. It ended almost as suddenly as it began, but left the pair of them smiling like idiots. Pandora bit her lip, attempting to suppress her smile. Sam couldn't help but think that the lip she was worrying with her teeth looked extremely kissable. The archangel leaned forward, pecking Sam on the nose before she rose to her feet and stretched her arms above her head with a satisfied groan. "I think I'm gonna get an hour of rest or so... Let myself relax a bit."  
Sam watched, enthralled, as she stretched, the movement exposing some of her stomach. He mumbled incoherently, not exactly sure what he'd just agreed to.  
Pandora looked down at Sam, curious why he seemed suddenly out of it, only to find that he was distracted. She grinned, pleased that she could cause Sam to start using that vivid imagination she knew he had.  
Sam's face flushed when the archangel was suddenly in his space, their lips mere inches apart. "You're gonna have to learn to control those roving eyes if we're gonna keep on track with slow, Winchester," Pandora cooed.  
Sam let out another unintelligent sound before he crashed their lips together again. Pandora sucked in a surprised breath through her nose, but returned the kiss without hesitation. Before she knew it, and without even realizing that they'd suddenly moved, Sam had Pandora backed against a wall.

Pandora placed a hand on either side of Sam's face, forcing them apart. Despite not needing oxygen as much as Sam, she still found herself breathless. "Sammy...Sammykinz, there's no rush, kid. Seriously, we should definitely take it slow." As much as it pained her to see that hurt expression on Sam's face, she knew this was for the best. "What I mean is...I don't want us to take this a step further than we should, and then have you worrying that I'm gonna disappear on you one day. We should wait until you trust, and I mean really trust, that I'm here to stay."  
Sam let out a disappointed sigh, but he knew she was right. He leaned their foreheads together, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "Why do you have to know me so well already? It's not fair."  
Pandora smoothed out the parts of Sam's hair that she had messed up during the kiss and grinned. "I watched you for a while, kiddo."  
"That's not creepy at all."  
Pandora chuckled, swatting Sam playfully on the arm. "Shut it, Winchester. And let me go, I wanna lay down."  
They lay facing each other in their separate beds, though neither realized they were doing it. "Night, Pandora," Sam mumbled as sleep started to take him.  
Pandora just smiled, listening to the sound of Sam's even breathing. "Night, Sam..." she whispered once she was sure he was asleep.

**A/N: So here's the update for this week! I'll be moving along in the season next chapter, so stay tuned!**


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